University of Rochester LEND

11/02/2026

10/20/2026

Meet our 2026–2027 LEND fellows. They are learning to become leaders in their chosen fields to support individuals with neurodevelopmental and related disabilities. Together they represent 11 disciplines: advocacy, audiology, dentistry, education, neurology, nursing, occupational therapy, pediatrics, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and social work. Here's to another great year!

09/11/2026

UR LEND held its orientation today for the 2026-2027 cohort. We of course had to post our own obligatory ‘first day’ photos! Here’s to another great year!

06/04/2026

Last week, University of Rochester LEND faculty and alumni attended the 41st Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability. During the conference, they presented "Advancing Reproductive Justice for Women with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities," highlighting the importance of equitable reproductive health care and self-determination for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Presenters included Sabrina Smith, MPA, MPH (virtual); Jeiri Flores, MS; Carrie Baker, MS; and Danielle Gary, MEd. The presentation was also developed in collaboration with Susan J. Wiener, MD, MPH, who was unable to attend the conference.

If you would like to learn more about this important topic or continue the conversation, please contact Jeiri Flores at [email protected].

05/08/2026

Earlier today, UR LEND graduates gathered in person with LEND faculty, family, and local politicians to celebrate their accomplishments. Congratulations and good luck as you take what you have learned and use it to make a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities.

04/30/2026

This is Karina Dutra Pinto Pereira, Dental trainee. At the beginning of the year, we asked our trainees questions to get to know them better. Here are some of Karina’s answers:

What book or series did you wish you could live in?
The Bible, especially during the time of Jesus, to live and learn directly from His teachings.

What is something that people would never guess just by looking at you?
I love playing video games

What is your aim for this year?
Improve my clinical skills, make the most of the LEND program experience, and further develop my academic and professional English.

What does true leadership mean to you?
Listening first, and turning empathy into concrete actions that create a positive impact.

What aspect of your discipline do you enjoy most?
Building trust with patients — especially those with special health care needs — and restoring function in ways that improve their quality of life.

04/27/2026

On Friday, UR LEND fellows went to United Access on West Henrietta Road to learn about accessible vehicles. They were given a tour of the facility and were able to see the inside of some of the vans and touch the equipment to see how it functions. They also learned about custom made vans and that United Access rents them as well. An invaluable experience for our UR LEND fellows.

04/23/2026

Meet Jason Chukwu, Advocacy trainee. At the beginning of the year, we asked our trainees questions to get to know them better. Here are some of Jason’s answers:

What book or series did you wish you could live in?
A book or series that I wish I could live in is the Holes book series by author Louis Sachar.

What would be the tagline to the sitcom of your life?
“Don’t stress the small stuff and learn to enjoy laughing at things… including myself

What is something that people would never guess just by looking at you?
I love to dance and am a passionate music head.

What would you sing at Karaoke night?
At Karaoke night, I would love to sing a song by the alt rock band Linkin Park called “Battle Symphony”.

What do you wish you knew more about in the Disabilities world?
I wish that I was aware, years ago, that this particular support program for the Disabilities world had already existed.

04/16/2026

Meet Heather Graupman, Psychology trainee. At the beginning of the year, we asked our trainees questions to get to know them better. Here are some of Heather’s answers:

What is something that people would never guess just by looking at you?
I’m six years old (leap day birthday).

What word do you want to be added to the dictionary, and what is the definition?
Omotional - feeling an overwhelming mix of all the emotions at once.

Would you rather meet your ancestors or descendants? Why?
I think I would rather meet my ancestors. After hearing so much about people I never got the chance to meet, I would love to have conversations and know more about where I came from.

What would be the tagline to the sitcom of your life?
Lots of thoughts and even more coffee.

What do you wish you knew more about in the Disabilities world?
I want to know more about the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities and their families. While you can learn a lot from textbooks and theories, I think there is a deeper understanding that can be drawn from hearing from individuals who can report on their direct experiences.

04/09/2026

We’d like to introduce you to Sarah Pranaitis, Medicine trainee. At the beginning of the year, we asked our trainees questions to get to know them better. Here are some of Sarah’s answers:

What is something that people would never guess just by looking at you?
I can play the flute.

What would be the tagline to the sitcom of your life?
“B(u)y the book”

If you could use magic to do one mundane task for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Bonus question: What would you name the spell?)
“Chef-ify”—a spell when pointed toward any food would create a delicious meal as though it was made by a chef!

What does true leadership mean to you?
To me, true leadership means leading by example even when no one is watching.

What is your aim for this year?
My aim for this year is to learn as much as possible, especially in regard to community/local resources that are available and accessible to all.